More Than 3000 Soviet Jews Lose Jobs After Applying for Exit Visas

A New York rabbi who recently returned from a visit to Russia said here that the refusal of Soviet authorities to permit Jews to leave has no parallel in history since the Pharaohs of Egypt. According to Rabbi Steven Riskin, of the Lincoln Square Synagogue, “over 3000 Jews have recently applied for exit visas and have suffered the consequences of this move–they have lost their jobs, they have lost their homes, and have been deprived of any source of income.” Rabbi Riskin made his remarks at a community-wide Simhat Torah rally on behalf of Soviet Jewry held at Seton Hall University, a Roman-Catholic institution. The meeting was arranged by the Essex County Conference on Soviet Jewry and the community relations committee of the Jewish Community Council of Essex County.

Sen. Harrison A. Williams of New Jersey, told the gathering that rallies on behalf of Soviet Jewry had an impact on Soviet authorities. He recalled that several years ago they finally gave in to pressure of public opinion abroad and permitted Russian Jews to bake matzohs for Passover. The New Jersey Democrat said he was told by a former Russian Jew now living in Israel that “the most important thing that has happened to Russian Jews in the past 75 years is learning that both Jews and non-Jews in the United States and in other free world countries have awakened to their plight.” Rabbi Zev Segal, conference chairman, called on American Jews to “speak out, again and again, until our voices are heard. Until the last of our Russian brethren is free of persecution, until those who wish to leave the country are permitted to do so, until complete religious freedom is restored, we cannot say we have done enough,” he said.